Growth in computer networks has changed the uses of computers dramatically. The largest computer network, commonly known as the Internet or World Wide Web (“WWW”), is now connecting millions of computing devices in the world, providing services like email, file transfer, and hypermedia information retrieval across different computer platforms.
In addition to providing the above services (e.g., email, file transfer, etc), computer networks have increased the social nature of online game. For example, traditional gaming systems may host a game on a game server where multiple players can join and compete simultaneously. For example, LEAGUE OF LEGENDS, developed by RIOT GAMES, forms groups of players into even teams. In LEAGUE OF LEGENDS, the winner of the game is the team that destroys a so called “nexus” associated with the opposing team. Accordingly, the team members typically communicate with each other to coordinate defensive positions and attacking advances as they defend their team's nexus and attempt to destroy the other team's nexus.
In these traditional games, specialized communications (e.g., defend this location or attack this character) usually occurs through a chat window were users can use their keyboards to type in their instructions or messages during actual game play in substantially real-time. Traditional games generally provide another, perhaps more limiting, mechanism for communicating with team members through a so called “ping” mechanism. The ping mechanism may be initiated when a player activates a predetermined input (e.g., a certain sequence or combination of keys, mouse buttons, or physical gestures, such as through a touch screen, for example) mapped to the ping command. When the gaming system detects that a player has initiated a ping, the gaming system may cause a predetermined visual indication to appear on the displays of other players in the team. A blinking image (e.g., dot or cursor image) is an example of a predetermined visual indication. A team may discuss prior to play the game that a ping may refer to a location in which the pinging player wants other players to meet.
Accordingly, in traditional gaming systems, players generally discuss and agree to the meaning of a ping prior to playing the game or prior to using the ping mechanism.